Kentucky County Emergency Dispatch to Monitor School District's Security Cameras

Magistrates in Bracken County, Kentucky, approved a measure Wednesday that will allow the dispatch center to monitor security cameras at the Bracken County School District.

By Jessica Davis

May 13, 2019

Magistrates in Bracken County, Kentucky, approved a measure Wednesday that will allow the dispatch center to monitor security cameras at the Bracken County School District.

Bracken County Judge-Executive Tina Teegarden said the video equipment has needed an upgrade for a while but this process will also provide a boost to school safety.

“Upgrading this equipment will allow the dispatch center to monitor the security cameras in the local school district,” she said. “They would see everything available on the security cameras through the buildings.”

According to Teegarden, she and the former judge-executive were approached by Bracken County Superintendent Jeff Aulick about two years ago with a request to have the security cameras monitored by dispatch.

Aulick said he was grateful for the additional security the school district will receive from dispatch monitoring their cameras.

“I’m very appreciative that the dispatchers will be monitoring our facilities,” he said. “Dispatchers will be able to guide the different first responders to where they need to be in real time. This is just another resource we can use to keep our students and staff safe.”

Teegarden said she was pleased that the collaboration will help the school districts.

“Dispatch will play a vital role if there are any incidents in the schools,” she said. “If, God forbid, something was to happen, our dispatch would be able to pinpoint the location within the buildings. I’m a big supporter of getting dispatch involved with the schools. Keeping our children, teachers and officers safe is one of my top priorities.”

While the school districts will definitely benefit from the safety measure, the upgraded equipment will help the dispatch office as well, Teegarden said.

“We’ll have better surveillance around the dispatch building and office,” she said. “Our equipment is outdated and this will just help us to keep the area safer.”